Kushiro Airport on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido has begun using an autonomous device called Monster Wolf to scare wild animals away from runways. Mounted on a self-propelled lawnmower equipped with GPS navigation, the robot patrols about 250 meters of the airport's restricted area, reports infohub.kz.
When infrared sensors detect foxes, rabbits, and other small animals, the device plays one of 50 sounds, including a wolf howl. According to Hokkaido Airports Co., this is the first full-scale deployment of an autonomous Monster Wolf robot in Japan.
The decision to deploy the robot followed two years of trials that began in 2024. The company said the tests confirmed the system's effectiveness and helped reduce the number of incidents involving small animals on airport grounds.
Akihiro Mikami, head of the Kushiro Airport operations division, expressed hope that the robot would help reduce the risk of aircraft collisions with animals and improve the efficiency of wildlife deterrence measures.